Louis schmitt



(ModeL) L. SOHMITT.

TRUSS.

No. 329,682. Patented Nov. 3, 1885.

N. PUERS. Phoio'LithognpIur. Wnhinglon. D. C.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFIC LOUIS SGHMITT, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND.

TRUSS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 329,682, dated November3, 1885.

Application filed December 4, 1684. Serial No. 149,461.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LOUIS SoHM1TT,a citizen of the United States,residing at Providence, in the county of Providence and State of RhodeIsland, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Trusses;and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in theart to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being hadto the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of referencemarked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

This invention relates to trusses adapted to be used more particularlyin the different varieties of hernia; and it consists in the parts whichwill behereinafter described and pointed out in the claim.

The object of this invention is to produce a truss having its pad atonce adapted to be used for both oblique and direct inguinal hernia, andalso for right and left scrotal hernia. By means of the concavitythe-pad is better adapted to conform to the body as well as to preventthe escape of the herniabeyond its limits,th us conducing to the comfortof the wearer. My improved truss, moreover, can be produced at a verysmall cost compared with the metallic ones heretofore in use.

In the accompanying sheet of drawings,Figure 1 represents the improvedtruss as adapted to retain a scrotal hernia of the right side. Fig. 2 isa top view of the pad and metallic connections as adapted for a leftscrotal hernia. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view through the pad on lineas x of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a detached view of one of the metallicconnections adapted to be secured to an elastic band and connect withthe pad when in use. Fig. 5 is a plan view of the pad adapted to be usedfor inguinal hernia, and Fig. 6 is a cross-sectional view of the same online 0 o.

The following is a detailed description of the invention, including themanner of its operation and use.

A, again referring to the drawings, designates the pad, as made frombox-wood or other suitable material, its general form being oval. Theunder or bearing surface,a, is concave or slightly cup-shaped, andterminating in wellrounded edges a, the top surface being convex.

(Model.)

Therefore any of its longitudinal or transverse cross-sections would beconcavo convex in form, as shown in Figs. 3 and 6.

The form of pad represented in Fig. 5 is v particularly adapted forpersons suffering from inguinal hernia, While that shown in Figs. 1 and2 is especially adapted for scrotal hernia, the notched portion e, atone side or edge of the pad, adapting it to be worn directly against theroot of the penis without producing pressure upon that organ.

B designates a strap or band, made from Webbing or other suitableflexible material which is more or less elastic, and provided with abuckle or other equivalent adjusting device, I).

O designates a strap or band, also provided with adjusting means 0', andconnected, by means of the sliding hoop c, with the body band B, beforedescribed.

H is a metallic hook or connection having an elongated opening, h, andan aperture, 1', therein, as fully shown in Fig. 4.

H isa similarly-formed metallic hook having, in addition to saidopenings h i, the curved slot h therein. These hooks are bent to conformto the convexity of the pad. (See Fig. 3.) One end ofthe band B has thehook H firmly secured thereto, while the other end freely passes throughthe opening h of the hook H, and is secured by means of an adjustingdevice, b. The free end of the strap 0 also passes through an opening,h, of another hook H, and is firmly secured thereto, Fig. 1.

d designates a bindingscrew, which passes through the curved slot h, andinto the pad, for the purpose of adj ustably securing the hook H to thepad.

S is a pin projecting from the upper or convex surface of the pad andnear its center, for the purpose of attaching the hooks H H. thereon.

Assuming now a person to have a scrotal hernia upon the right side, asindicated in Fig. 1, the truss would be applied as follows: The padbeing first placed in position approximating the seat of the hernia, thehook H being already connected with the pad, the free end of the band Bis passed around the body above the hips and connected with the pad infront by means of its hook H, when,

finally, the strap 0, depending from the right side of the band, isbrought up and passed between the legs of the wearer and attached inturn to the pad by means of its hook H.

The band B is obviously adapted to be lengthened and shortened by meansof ,a buckle or slide, b, the same also being true of the strap 0.

" The relative position of the pad to the band B may be altered, ifdesired, by means of the clamping-screw d.

In case of inguinal hernia the pad shown in Fig. 5 may be substituted,the bands B 0 being of course readjusted to conform to the newrequirements.

The truss is instantly removed from the body by simply unhooking the twoconnections or hooks H H of the bands 0 B,respectively.

The pad A may be covered with soft leather or other suitable material,if desired, and may also be slightly padded upon its concave surfacewithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

I do not claim,broadly,a truss consisting of 25 a pad and adjustableretaining straps or bands,

as such devices have been made prior to my

